Gold Yenko at Mecum sets record
 

Well records are meant to be broken! Last record was 715k
New record all in close to 2 million. Amazing auction and results with the total Cliff Ernst collection bringing in $5,637,50069

69 Baldwin Motion Camaro LS7 hit 1.1millionall in!

Sold for $1,815,000 with fees.
https://www.mecum.com/lots/1155407/1...aa_id=717081-0
Congrats to both parties involved,a stellar Camaro.

In consideration of Doug’s research - wonder why it did a moon shot? Buyer believed the promotion?

4th post in this thread:


https://www.yenko.net/forum/showthread.php?t=184313

The gold "Yenko 427 Drag Special" is one of the top 1969 Yenko Camaros because of its Yenko history and drag racing history

In my opinion, the Daytona Yellow Ed Hedrick Yenko would be top but it is said to be destroyed.

The Hugger orange survivor 69 Yenko is a top car and sold for $715k

Some of the high level restored cars would bring top money

The gold car has one of the best stories and sometimes its the car's story that brings more interest.
The "Yenko 427 Drag Special" was in Super Stock Magazine and was on the cover of Drag Times, was driven by Ed Hedrick, and was tuned by Grumpy , Strickler and Jerry Stahl at the track test. (four big names in Super Stock in 1969)

It was also used as a demonstrator and had headers, scattershield, and Atlas Mags.
All documented in a 1969 magazine.

I posted a photo of Ed autographing the car with Cliff
the "Yenko 427 Drag Special" ad
a clip of the Super Stock magazine article

I was curious why it garnered such a premium.

Seems like the value formula is something like:

Ironclad paperwork + documented ownership history + original drive train + high end restoration + famous (magazine test car in this case)

I’m curious to see if these prices will hold for cars sold after this lot. Traditionally a Yenko Camaro was pretty common to the $250-$350k price tag, now it doubles. Just wonder if the days of seeing them in that range is now gone given what they brought today. Not saying that they will all be $450-$500k+ but maybe now will float in the $350-$450k. Who knows, but interesting to see if this is just a blip or the start of a trend.

Just like the Black Ghost, I was bamboozled by Mecum’s promotion of the car and drank the Kool-Aid.

Great car! Great history! Congratulations. Going to a great home.

Congratulations Ryan! Very happy it's going to a fantastic caretaker with endless passion for the hobby. The atmosphere was electric and an amazing day for everything Yenko.

Looks like the total Cliff Ernst collection brought in $5,637,500. I was fortunate to attend and in awe of the energy today!

Congrats to you, Ryan!

Congratulations Ryan on buying the OG and RG Yenkos. Do we know who bought the other four Camaros and the Nova. John Hoer's old car sold for good money too.

All beautiful cars - my high school teacher had a 69 gt500 convertible I’m surprised it didn’t do Better. Did I read that right that the gold camaro was a Connecticut car? Any info on its ownership In CT .

Warren Dernoshek has original paperwork on the gold drag special Yenko, the Fathom Green 69 Yenko Camaro and the Fathom Green 69 Yenko Nova

He would like to talk to the new owners of these 3 cars

message me if you need his number

The gold drag special Yenko Camaro was not from CT.
There is a gold white stripe 69 Yenko Camaro that is in CT. and was sold by Austin Chev in Norwalk CT.

A few years ago there was a muscle car museum in Florida that liquidated a bunch of cars including two 69 COPO Camaros. I saw both those cars in person and while both nice, they were older restorations with a few incorrect items. One brought $280K? and the other brought over $300K. This was at a time where COPOs were bringing $150-$200K. In that case it was a blip, as the market essentially stayed right there, and is still there today.
As long as there are people willing to pay $400K+ for Yenko's, the market will stay up there. That just hasn't been the case for COPO's. 69 Z28's, now that's a whole different story:biggthumpup:

That just hasn't been the case for COPO's. 69 Z28's, now that's a whole different story:biggthumpup:[/QUOTE]

There have private sales of COPO's that have brought $400k+ Provenance, options and drivetrain are critical...

On another note, I will be reuniting the Rallye Green Yenko with its original engine. Huge thanks to Jeff Boone for selling me the engine back in 2024. Condition wise, the RG car was the roughest of the bunch, but it will look better than ever shortly.

this is a great photo

original owner Ron Welsh and his son

Ron sold it to Cliff in 1987

photo posted by Bob Ehrheart Jr.

photo of Cliff at a drag race after he restored it
maybe late 1980s early 1990

Congratulations Ryan! I have fond memories of the Olympic gold car. I was able to visit Cliff several years ago and tour his collection. From what he told me, he drove the rally green car the most and enjoyed taking his grandchildren for rides in it.

Congrats go out to Ryan, who truly exemplifies what our hobby is (and should be) all about.

So with that being said...who would like to see a different kind of "Six Pack" at MCACN this year?

Bashton

Me! :headbang:

I've got pictures of Cliff's gold Yenko Camaro from the 1988 Super Chevy Sunday event in Indianapolis, IN. If i remember correctly, that was the cars debut after the restoration. It was a show stopper even back and I had a tough time getting pictures of it due to the huge crowd around it.

Congratulations Ryan!

Was this Melbourne Florida? Or Naples area?

To the buyer of the gold car and this may be a NO NO question if so don’t answer it
What made you go in so big on the gold car vs the others ? Was it the race history?

My personal preference has always been race history just my thing. I let a convertible go for race history. In the road race world race history is gold.

Reason I ask is they are all such beautiful and special cars but there was clearly a huge difference in price between them

I think this was the Muscle Car Museum in Punta Gorda. I don't think the museum in Naples is the type for a first gen Camaro.

Sad there’s a disconnect like that but get what your saying
👍

Mecum Yenko
 

The Mecum Yenko display @Kissimmee. I took pics of the Orange Camaro and Fathom Green Nova but missing.

I was there on the first and second day of the auction and it was very quiet in the display room for all these cars. They were very impressive. I don't know the specifics of each car, but they clearly stated the prototype retained its original engine. This and its unique color probably contributed to the high number.

Please help me keep the notes correct in the registry. What makes this car a prototype?

I think that term was made up perhaps by a magazine/journalist. GM identified very early production as pilot cars. This is not an early car so unsure how it applies. It is a very special car that I've been in awe of from SSDI article July of 69! Link to article I posted: https://www.yenko.net/forum/showthread.php?t=173260

Based on Doug's research in this thread:
https://www.yenko.net/forum/showthread.php?t=184313
It's not a prototype, and it's not a pilot.


Please remember that Mecum accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of their descriptions!

NICE....i bet that will put a smile on the car's face to have its original heart back.

I don't know where the "prototype" name came from but when Cliff bought the car in 1987 , there was not a lot of information about the Yenko cars.

There were a few articles in MCR and Super Chevy from about 1982.

I remember some people thought that Cliff's car was the first 1969 to get the Yenko stripes and emblems because the fender emblems were installed like a 1968 Yenko Camaro.
(1968 Yenko Camaro had 427 emblems on the fenders , 1969 Yenko Camaro had the 427 emblems on the hood)

The theory didn't make sense when it was shown how many cars were before Cliff's gold car.

Don called the car the "Yenko 427 Drag Special" in an ad and called it a "demonstrator" in the Yenko press release.

Of the first 50 cars ordered, despite vin or body #s, is there anyway to tell which ones they plucked out of what order to be "converted"?

Not that I'm aware of... and I totally believe this was the first 69 converted, regardless of earlier factory VINs and/or body numbers. The completely unique emblem placement and layout on this car is unlike any other 69 sYc Camaro, and is well documented as being originally built this way. No way did they build a dozen cars ahead of this one using the "standard" emblems,layouts and placements, do this particular car completely different... then go right back to doing the rest the same way they had been. Now I'll be the first to say there were variations in stripe/emblem placements from one car to the next... but there have been no others found that were done like this one.

When the first batch of cars came in, they didn't look at the VIN's or body numbers to start converting them "in order", they just grabbed one out of the line of cars that were delivered and started on it. I personally believe this was the first 69 Camaro they ever installed stripes and emblems on.

Remember that “conversion” didn’t involve a 396 to 427 swap like in 67 and 68. Just bolt on stuff and decals.

Yep, and I believe this car got the "bolt on stuff and decals" before any of the rest.

I agree with your premise.

I’m late to the party on this one, but wow, incredible to see a Yenko Camaro pull that number! Congrats to the buyer (and seller). You only live once.